Faulkner is on the FA Board and had been working for owner Randy Lerner since before his buy-out of the club in 2006, but departed when asked to work on other aspects of the billionaire’s business portfolio.

Lerner is desperate to sell the Villans and flew into the UK this week for crunch talks, but has no firm offer despite publicly putting the club up for sale at the end of last season.

The American wants out after ploughing in over £300million in a failed pursuit of Champions League qualification.

It has forced Lambert to rely on cheap Bosman signings this summer such as Joe Cole after US-based Lerner shut his cheque-book.

Now the club is effectively rudderless at the top after Lerner’s loyal long-serving ally and man on the ground walked away.

Faulkner, a Cambridge graduate, cleared his desk at Villa Park on Tuesday and left with immediate effect.

The shock development startled Lambert, who has big headaches anyway trying to make Villa competitive despite his limited spending power.

The club’s takeover limbo means they haven’t tied down Ron Vlaar, Fabian Delph and Gabby Agbonlahor, who all have only 12 months left on their contracts.

Holland international centre-back Vlaar, in particular, is sure to have suitors after impressing at the World Cup.

Hanging onto Vlaar is just one of several huge challenges facing Lerner, Lambert, new assistant manager Roy Keane and Robin Russell, previously Villa's chief financial officer who is now the acting chief exec.

The Midlands side's first pre-season game is next Thursday at Mansfield before a US tour ahead of their opening Premier League game at Stoke on August 16.

Karsa was sacked following an investigation into bullying following his behaviour towards various club staff including grounds staff and physios.

(Image: Pete Norton)

It was a nightmare for Lambert, who had worked with the pair at Wycombe, Colchester and Norwich.

Now the Scot has more headaches following the exit of Faulkner, who negotiated player contracts among his many responsibilities.

Off the pitch under 36-year-old Faulkner, Villa have an impressive marketing and commercial set-up.

But it is their woes on the pitch which has lead a weary Lerner to hire Bank of America Merrill Lynch to find a buyer.

Last term, Villa limped to a 15th place for the second successive season, after coming 16th in 2011-12 under unpopular Alex McLeish, who defected across the second city from arch-rivals Birmingham.

Midfielder Marc Albrighton, who quit Villa this summer on a Bosman for newly-promoted Leicester, feels the turnover of bosses has not helped.

He said: “Since I broke through at Aston Villa, I have had five or six different managers.”

Villa’s takeover limbo saw them surprisingly release their talented former England U21 international winger Albrighton, who added: “Nobody said a word to me about contracts. I felt I did well towards the end of the season and gave a good account of myself. I got a couple of man of the match awards and then got put on the bench.”

The squad has been boosted by the return of fit-again Charles N’Zogbia, who missed the whole of last season with a ruptured Achilles, while former outcasts Darren Bent and Alan Hutton have been handed lifelines and are back in the first-team picture.